Born in Naples, Italy, the modern concept of pizza is about 150 years old. The industry now boasts a quarter of a million parlors around the world, $160 billion in sales, hundreds of styles, shapes and variations, passionate opinions, prestigious contests and at least three museums.
That’s a lot of baggage – and certainly more than Matt Dulin wanted to deal with, which is why the baker and owner of GetRights, in Wheat Ridge, decided to start from scratch.
In 2023, he began experimenting with the flavors, texture, shapes and sizes of pizza (he has been serving it at lunchtime for over a year) and plans to roll out a regular pizza menu and expanded hours on Jan. 23.
Since the store, 6985 W. 38th Ave., only has 2-4 seats inside, they’ll be for to-go orders only, but In late spring, he’ll add dine-in options on the new patio for pizza, beer, wine, desserts and ice cream.
“I’m hoping my naivete on the pizza world allows me a new perspective or new avenues,” Dulin said. “It’s more fun to be oblivious to what is out there and formulate what makes sense for us. It’s personal to me and what I like, and hopefully I’m not copying anyone else out there.”
For GetRight’s — known for its country loaves, baguettes and croissants, signature canelés, jambon beurre and many other pastries and baked goods — the pizza came about almost by accident.
“If our sales slowed down, I was trying to figure out a different use for our baguette dough. So I started letting it ferment for a longer period of time and making breads that were similar to focaccia,” Dulin explained. “Then I started playing around more, with longer proof times and thinner and thinner dough. It ended up as this.”
“Some people tell us it’s Sicilian, some compare it to Roman style. I don’t necessarily think it’s Roman. Yes, we cut it into squares or rectangles. But we serve it crispier,” he added.
“The way that we serve it is the way that I personally like pizza. I like a crispy crust. Fairly saucy. We go heavy on parmesan cheese garnish as well, which adds umami. If done right, all of our sauces and flavors should create a mouthwatering flavor.”
Some of the choices will include: tomato and mozzarella; sausage and peppers with bechamel mozzarella and banana peppers; and ham and pineapple with pickled jalapeños.
Once Dulin has a handle on how long it takes to make the pizzas on a regular basis and what the demand for them is, he plans to add hours, both during the afternoon and evening.
“I’m nervous because I don’t know how it’s going to go,” he said. But it’s also important to sell larger menu items and beer and wine so that he can make enough money to afford enough staff that would allow him to take a day off every now and then.
He thinks the combination of pizza, ice cream, wine and a patio will do well, though, because it “hits on a lot of notes that Wheat Ridge doesn’t offer a lot of right now.
“We are so close to Denver but it feels so far away in a lot of respects,” Dulin said. “People shouldn’t have to go down to South Pearl for that. We’re hoping to bring things a little more out this way so they don’t have to fight the crowds in other parts of Denver and downtown.”
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